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Chloe Bennett, 27, was bored of British life and was ‘miserable’ after going through a break-up

A woman left behind the “cold and miserable” UK for sunny Dubai without securing a job or flat beforehand and insists that she could “never go back”. Chloe Bennett, 27, had grown tired of British life and felt “bored” during weekends, where her most thrilling pastime was browsing Home Bargains.

Following a visit to see a mate in Dubai, she became smitten with the city, handed in her notice and relocated in December 2023 with no employment or accommodation arranged. Although she initially had to accept lower wages to find work, she felt instantly happier thanks to the climate and the wealth of activities on offer.

Now, two years on, she operates her own business as a social media manager, pulling in 20% more than she earned in her previous UK tech sales position.

Chloe, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, said: “It’s so cold and miserable in the UK and there’s nothing to do in the evenings. I just worked a normal 9-5 and then spent my weekends going around Home Bargains and TK Maxx and that was the most excitement I got.

“I came to Dubai on holiday to see my friend and I just fell in love with it. It’s sunny all year round. There’s so much to do and it’s hard to be depressed when you open your curtains every day and it’s sunny.

“Now I spend my weekends going wakeboarding, visiting the zoo and staying on boats. There’s just so much more to do. I’ve started my own company here, got a puppy and I can’t imagine ever going back.”

Chloe felt “miserable” in the UK following a painful break-up and family relationship breakdown. She made the decision to leave her tech sales role after five years with the company.

“I came to see my friend in Dubai and she was having a great time and it just felt like a nudge to try something new,” she said.

However, finding work in the UAE proved challenging, as she discovered most positions there were commission-based rather than salaried.

“I tried for months to get a job, but I just decided to leave anyway with no job and nowhere to live, and just give it everything,” she said. Upon arriving in Dubai, Chloe began sharing a room with a girl she’d connected with through a rental app to keep expenses down.

She also started posting frequently on her TikTok about relocating to Dubai and was approached by a recruiter she’d previously spoken with, who offered her a position at a property firm. Before starting the role, she met a colleague from the same company and they began having lunch together daily, eventually deciding to share a flat.

The property job paid Chloe less than she’d been earning in the UK, but it didn’t matter because she felt happier. In April 2025, she decided to go it alone and launch her own social media management business, Socials with Chloe, where she now earns 20% more than her UK salary, allowing her to live comfortably despite high living costs.

Despite loving her life in Dubai, Chloe admitted that the one downside is being separated from her family. “When I left my little brother was seven and now he’s about to be 10, it’s nuts how much he’s grown”, she said. “I feel like I’m missing out on a lot, this is going to be my second Christmas away from them.”

Yet Chloe’s closest friend has recently moved to Dubai with her partner, which has eased her homesickness. Another aspect of the UK she longs for is the cuisine.

“I’m just really fussy, the McDonald’s chicken nuggets here taste so different, I don’t know what it is”, she said.

Chloe explained that Dubai boasts a thriving entrepreneurial scene and offers far more prospects than the UK.

She said: “As crazy as it sounds, I feel like you can do anything you wanted. If you want to start your own company or launch a clothing line, you can do it, people are so supportive.”

Dubai is renowned for its high costs, but following a TikTok post about Waitrose prices in the UAE, Chloe received numerous comments from Brits asserting that the UK has become just as pricey as Dubai.

“From what I hear, the prices are pretty much the same in both places now”, she said. She mentioned that she no longer does a weekly food shop, as ordering takeaways nightly works out cheaper and costs merely £3 monthly for unlimited delivery.

“You can get anything you want delivered in 15 minutes, it’s so much better than Uber Eats back home”, she said. Hailing from a small town, Chloe revealed that back home everyone was privy to everyone else’s affairs.

However, she relishes the fact that Dubai is nothing like that. “Dubai is actually really tiny and everyone know everyone, but they don’t know everyone’s business”, she expressed.

Recently, Chloe became a dog mum and now spends her weekends at a local dog beach, watching her new pup frolic in the sea. She confessed that she can’t envision ever returning to the UK, although she does have concerns about the long-term implications of living in the UAE, particularly the fact that all schools are private.

“I know a lot of people who say that they will go back, but for me personally, I can’t see it happening”, she admitted.

A BRITISH man and his daughter flew to Lanzarote for a beach day – because it was cheaper than heading to London.

Aleksander Sikora, 41, booked return flights to Lanzarote in Spain after his daughter, Wiktoria, 19, said she wanted to go shopping in London.

The avid budget traveller dad decided that instead of heading to the capital, they would go to Spain – and he spent under £100 on the trip.

Return flights to Lanzarote Airport cost Aleksander £60 return and once there the duo had around six hours to spend on the sunny coast before returning home.

Whilst Wiktoria went off to do some shopping at the local fashion shops and markets, Aleksander lay on the beach.

The trip cost under £100 per person and they were even home by midnight.

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According to Aleksander, Wiktoria enjoyed the trip so much that she is keen to try another ‘extreme day trip’ in the future.

Aleksander, who lives in Farnham, Surrey, said: “My daughter said she wanted to go shopping – I said ‘give me a day and let me check something on the internet’.

“I came back and offered her a day trip to Lanzarote to do her shopping at the markets instead – and she said ‘why not?’.

“While she went off shopping, I listened to music and flew my drone on the beach – I enjoyed some peace and quiet time in the sun.

“It’s not for everyone and people will say I’m crazy for the trip – but it was what I needed to calm my mind.”

Aleksander booked the easyJet flights three days before the duo travelled.

They took off from Gatwick Airport at 7am, where they spent an additional £15 to park the car for the day.

When in Lanzarote, they spent £1.20 on the bus each to get to Puerto Del Carmen.

The two then separated, with Wiktoria heading off to find some knock-off designer handbags.

As for luggage, Aleksander had one small bag containing nothing more than a towel, his phone, passport, a powerbank, an empty water bottle, some headphones and his drone.

During four hours on the beach, he listened to music and flew his drone to take aerial pictures of the scenic coastline.

He also grabbed a Chinese takeaway, costing around £10 for a chicken chow mein.

He said: “It was on a budget, I’m not talking champagne and all-inclusive drinks.

“I just relaxed, it’s like meditation, you don’t need much more than that.”

During this time, Wiktoria had picked up all the items she wanted while shopping.

The father-daughter duo then departed after six hours in Lanzarote, landing back down in the UK at around 10:30pm.

Aleksander said: “If you spent a day in London it would cost more than I spent.

“In the present time, a lot is going on, the price of everything is increasing and everyone has work pressure.

“Sometimes you just need a few minutes to yourself, however you get it.”

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Becki Enright has left London behind to move to the sizeable European city, which was once known for its grumpiness but has just been named the friendliest on the Continent

A Brit who swapped London for a European capital once known for grumpiness has explained why the city is actually one of the friendliest in the world.

In Vienna, the grizzly mood of locals is so renowned that there is not one, but two special words to describe it. One is ‘raunzen’, which means to grouch, crab, gripe, grouse or whimper fretfully, according to Langenscheidt.

The other is ‘Wiener Schmäh’ – what Brit Becki Enright describes as the unique kind of Viennese sarcasm and humour. “It can be hard to grasp and come across as blunt if you don’t quite get it,” the travel writer and guide explained.

According to Becki, the dark cloud that once hung over the Austrian capital has lifted, and its reputation as Europe’s grumpiest city is outdated. So much so, Vienna was just named the friendliest city in Europe by CNTraveller, which canvassed the opinions of half a million readers.

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Becki swapped London for Vienna ten years ago and has fallen in love with the city of two million. She argues that it deserves the top spot because of how welcoming it is as a place to live in general, rather than specifically how the Viennese treat tourists and one another.

“The general sense of friendliness comes from how clean, accessible, safe and culturally rich the city is,” she explained.

“Every city has its highlights, so it’s hard to compare. But Vienna’s quality of life is a stand-out factor. Rents are typically cheaper, with an emphasis on being outdoors and enjoying nature that’s on your doorstep. There’s great infrastructure and an affordable public transport system. The cuisine is based on farm-fresh and locally harvested ingredients, supporting local producers. The arts and music are a way of life; you are never short of cultural events to attend.”

Despite being home to over a fifth of Austria’s nine million-person population, Becki has found the pace of life in Vienna to be calm. “It’s not a chaotic metropolis; things move at a much slower pace here. This slower pace is a blessing in some aspects of life, though it may require patience in others.”

The city is also green – both in the environmental and literal sense. The public transport system is extensive and cheap for all. Children under six travel for free, as do youth up to 15 years old during the school holidays and on Sundays. A raft of similar other initiatives has seen Vienna ranked as the “greenest” metropolis in the world.

It’s also covered in parks, which may be the secret to the city’s new friendly reputation. Studies have shown that access to vegetation-rich parks and increases both happiness and productivity, especially following the coronavirus pandemic.

“Half of Vienna is green space,” Becki continued.

“There are free-to-enter palace gardens (Schönbrunn and Belvedere). In the centre, you have the Hofburg castle lawns and the city’s first public park, Stadtpark (which opened in 1862). Across the Danube, you have the largest recreational park, Prater (a former imperial hunting ground), best known for its Würstelprater fairground.

“Vienna is also the only European city growing significant amounts of wine in its city limits, so you can easily jump on public transport and be at a vineyard, or take one of the city’s 14 hiking trails, many of which track through the circumambient Vienna Woods.”

When it comes to hanging out in the sunnier months, such as July, when the average daily high is 27 °C, the riverbank is the place to go.

“While you can’t swim in the Danube, Vienna makes the most of its waterside hangouts. The Danube Canal is lined with bars and boat restaurants and the beach bar (Strandbar Herrmann). The banks of the Danube tributaries are the warmer-weather recreational hangouts,” Becki continued.

“The Neue Donau (New Danube) riverfront has a sand bank recreational hangout Copa Beach. The Alte Donau (Old Danube) is where you can hire pedal and motor boats or SUP on the waters. It’s also home to the recreational island, Strandbad Gänsehäufel, with swimming pools, bathing lawns, a little beach area and restaurants. Then you have the Donauinsel (Danube Island), which hosts a free music festival each June, the Donauinselfest.”

As pleasant as relaxing by the water and in the parks may be, come the evening, it’s time to head inside for a bite and a drink. Becki recommends Leopoldstadt, especially the area of the Karmeliterviertel that spills around the food market, for “casual-cool and indie hangouts” and the recently trendy Beisl pub, contemporary restaurant Skopik and Lohn for schnitzel.

“The districts that spread from the well-known Naschmarkt are what I would say are the grungy-trendy downtown areas, with boutique, upcycled and second-hand stores and a great spread of nightlife. The most well-known neighbourhood here is the Freihausviertel in the 4th (next to the Karlskirche) – home to the city’s generational cafe concept, Vollpension,” she continued.

“The 7th district is the most bougie and creative – one of my favourite bars is Atlas, a Beisl- turned-gastropub spalshed with art, and which features an art-gallery space at the back. In the 9th district, the Servitenviertel neighbourhood is dubbed ‘Little Paris’ and is lined with food outlets – I’d start at the converted pharmacy turned bakery, La Mercerie for a coffee and pastry.”

There are two main ways to get to Vienna from the UK. A train from London to the city typically takes 13 to 17 hours and requires two changes, as there are, unfortunately, no direct services. The journey involves operators like Eurostar, TGV, and ICE or ÖBB, with services running from London St Pancras International to Vienna Hbf.

There are direct flights from airports in Manchester, Newcastle, Birmingham, London, Liverpool and Edinburgh, which take between two and two and a half hours, and are available for from £15 this month.